The Unofficial Guide to Jedi Training
by Hayley-Kenobi
Summary: A detailed outline of Jedi training
1. Welcome

The Unofficial Guide to Jedi Training  
  
**In no way is this document official. It serves for entertainment purposes only and is being used to give information about Jedi Training. I've taken bits of information from the movies, sites, and books. I am in no way trying to take credit for Star Wars movies, books, or sites.**  
  
Hello and welcome to the Unofficial Guide to Jedi Training. I've always wondered what training for a Jedi would be like and when Episode 1 came out we got to see some of it, a very little portion but some of it. I was really excited when the Jedi Apprentice series, by Jude Watson, came out and we got to see a detailed outlook of how Jedi training is. It answered a lot of my questions and brought up several more. One thing I realized about training: It is hard. You may ask, why write up something about Jedi training? Well several of my friends, who also love Star Wars, kept asking me how is worked and after explaining it all I thought that others might like to know how it worked too. So I wrote this. This document is a detailed outline of the training a child must go through to become a Knight. It's almost like a book you would read in school about Jedi training, giving you a good idea of what training is like. So for all you Star Wars fans who want to know about Temple training, whether it be for your fanfic or just plain old fun here it is. 


	2. Jedi Training

Testing for Potential Jedi  
  
The majority of the children brought in to be trained at the Temple are born within the Republic. This is because Republic laws require any birth to be tested for midichlorians. Midichlorians are microscopic life forms that live inside a being's cells. They determine the being's connection to the Force and it also is the way they measure the child's potential as a Jedi.  
The lowest amount of midichlorians that are required to be considered for training are 7,000, though most Jedi have at least 10,000. When the high midichlorians levels are detected word is sent back to the Temple and the Council will contact the guardians to discuss the possibility of training.  
Giving the child up to be trained is a long process sometimes taking years for the guardians to make a decision to give their child up. Many purposefully wait till they are older though this is frowned upon it is the guardians choice. Once the guardian has made their decision they contact the Temple and if they agree to have their child trained then a Jedi team is dispatched to bring the Child to the Temple. The guardians give up their rights to the Child and the Child becomes part of the Jedi Order.  
Most children arrive at the Temple at age two and go into the nursery where they live peacefully under the protection and care of Jedi. At the age of two the child is relatively unspoiled by feelings of rage and hatred and this makes them easier to train and is better for the child.  
Three years old is the cut off age for Jedi Training. By this age they will start to pick up on feelings that are undesirable for a Jedi. This is also why testing is critical. Even spending a year in the Temple the child still tries to hold onto their former life. Normally this is broken when the child begins training and they come to think of the Jedi as their family.  
The testing is not easy. The child must go through four different tests to start training. The first is their connection to the Force, which the Council tests by holding a blank screen up and having the child say what image appears on the other side. The next is the Child's reflexes, which are tested with a ball that a member of the Council throws and asks the Child to dodge it. Once that is completed the test goes onto the Child's emotional control. This is the hardest. While connected to the child a member of the Council invades his mind and brings up his worst nightmares and experiences the other Council members then read the child's feelings.  
Less then 50% of the students get accepted for training. Most are sent home to stay with their parents though others stay on to train as healers, caregivers and other jobs offered in the Temple.  
  
First Year of Training  
  
Almost a Pre-training this year starts at the age of 3 only a week after the child takes the tests to be trained. During this time the Child's connection to the Force is greatly expanded and they learn to quiet their minds to hear the Force. They are also taught how to meditate. The classes taken during this time are meant to ease the child into clan training and also expand their knowledge of the Force. The main focus though is on the Jedi Code, which the child will study in detail and apply it to their life. They will also learn how to develop connections, which is vital for the Master/Padawan relationship they will later develop, levitation, and the Basic aspects of the Force. This year is not strenuous and many Initiates move on to Clan training after completing the year.  
  
Clan Training: Level 1  
  
Clan training is the start of individual training. The first year the children are trained together which gets them used to the order, but when they go into clan training they are separated into 10 different clans which are made up of twenty students, called Younglings.  
The Younglings stay with their clans for most of their day only joining the other Younglings for meals and during the night where they split the boys and girls. Each clan also has 2 Jedi caretakers, one during the day and another during the night. Level one marks thing the children look most forward to: Lightsaber training, they take classes to learn how the lightsaber works and the different stances they will use during training. After a few quick tests the students are now ready to start training with a Jedi Master. Most of the time it is Master Yoda, but other Masters are often brought in to teach the children. The Younglings also are taught basic school knowledge, to read and write. Many learn to do this before going on to further subjects. Once the child can at least read they go into their studies at the Temple, which during this year of training, focuses on the Republic and the systems and the planets that are apart of it and the beings that live there. They also with learn about their roles as Jedi. It is a lot to remember and most children require tutoring to get through it. Level 1 of the Clan Training is made to be hard to see who will be able to handle further training. Only forty percent of these Younglings go on to Level 2.  
  
Clan Training: Level 2  
  
Level two of training is not acquired at a certain age. All children learn differently and some don't even achieve level two until the age of seven, though the teachers will try their hardest to make sure that the child does not fall too far behind.  
During Level two the Youngling will receive in depth Lightsaber training. All Jedi begin study at Form I lightsaber combat, which depends more on circular movements and sweeping attacks. It is a simpler technique that the Youngling will develop more over time.  
Classes get more technical as they start training in piloting and mechanics. Diplomacy is also taken. The classes that are taken during this time will apply to the missions that the Youngling will take in the future.  
  
Clan Training: Level 3  
  
This is the last level of the official Jedi Training that the child will receive before they go on to being a Padawan. During this Level the Youngling will learn how to handle himself of missions as well as work together in a hostile situation and with other students that they do not necessarily care for. The time is more focused on the missions that the Younglings will soon go on if chosen as an apprentice, learning everything from survival skills, to piloting alien spacecrafts, to building and repairing a lightsaber. Learning to control their emotions is vital in this year as well. Even though they will not learn this skill until later their Jedi Caregivers will keep the older students meditating during the night to get a grasp on the Force and control their feelings. The students are also introduced to a new aspect in the Force, The living Force. This is a new experience to the students because it deals with being able to connect to the other beings around you and feel their emotions. It also is the way a lot of Younglings are able to connect with animals. Some are even able to communicate with them with feelings and images. Though it is rare, it isn't impossible. Several tests are conducted during this time which will show the Younglings talents and weaknesses in certain areas which their instructor will go in and help them to achieve the standard for completing Clan training and for the big test at the end of the course. This test, referred to the student, as the Youngling Trials, is one thing the students do not look forward too. Taken to a training planet the students are scattered out in groups of two with a droid following them. A Jedi Instructor gives them only survival packs and using only the Force the Younglings must find their way back to the ship within two days. It's a long test, which is not judged by the fastest one to get there, rather by the skill and the cooperation the Younglings exempt during it to get to their destination. By watching the images the droid sends back to them, the Jedi instructors will study the Younglings strategy and judge on whether they are ready to go to pass the Clan training or go on to study more. It is not considered a failure if you do not pass the test the first time, in fact almost every Youngling failed their first test. Many go back the their Clans and take the courses they did not understand over again so they can get it right next time, though some decide to take the test the very next time they hold it, it's these students that show their impatience to go on and most of these students will fail many other times not only for impatience but for the way they act upon it. After a while though, if a Youngling shows no sign of improvement or willingness to improve the Council will decide to discontinue their training, especially if anger is involved in the problems. But in fact most students do pass and go onto the rank of a Padawan, receiving their own temporary training saber and a Padawan braid.  
  
Padawan Training: Level 4  
  
The rank of a Padawan refers to a Jedi that has completed their Basic Jedi Training and will go on to being an Apprentice to a Jedi Knight or Master. Level 4 is the time between that, where the child graduates Clan training and goes onto the period of waiting to be chosen by a Jedi to be an apprentice.  
During this time the Padawan moves from the Youngling ward to their semi-private quarters. They are only temporary though since soon the Padawans will be chosen by a Master and will move in with them. Similarly to their Youngling living the Padawans have two counselors, one for the day and one for the night. They are much more lenient though. Padawans are expected to get themselves up, meditate, and meet their group for breakfast at a certain time.  
The consolers still will instructed the Padawans on matters, since they are not completely dependent on themselves, making sure the Padawans get to class and bed on time and also eat healthy and get enough physical activity. However they are not there to be their parents and the consolers will turn the Padawans to rely on themselves if it seems they are getting that way. Normally by this age they let go of their former life, but some were more attached to their life then others and in turn have a harder time thinking of the Jedi as their family.  
Classes during this time are also taken which mainly are deeper studies of things they have already learned.  
Students also will start to train to be chosen as a Padawan by a Knight. This involves a competition between two Padawans in front of the Jedi wishing to take an apprentice as well as their classmates.  
Being chosen as an apprentice is a high honor and it is also one that many of the Padawans will not achieve. Unlike previous Levels the cut off age for being chosen as a Padawan Apprentice is 13. Normally once the Padawan hits that age they have had four years to be taken as an apprentice. The Council then decides to dismiss the Padawan from their training and have them go on to other jobs. Many go to the agricorps, which is a farming company that uses Jedi's Force talent to help grow planets. This is the worst disgrace to have as a Padawan and students will go to great lengths not to be sent there.  
Sadly being chosen as an apprentice is hard and many will not be chosen, that doesn't mean they have to go the argicorps. Many students decide to go home to their families; others request that they become Caretakers or healers at the Temple. Their requests are not always accepted, but most of the Healers are Jedi that were never chosen as Apprentices. Those who are chosen go on to Master and Padawan Training.  
  
Jedi Apprentice: Level 5  
  
Being chosen as an Apprentice is the start of the Master and Padawan training. This is one-on-one training that provides the individual attention the Apprentice needs to continue.  
Once a student is chosen by a Knight or Master they receive the rank of Jedi Apprentice, which opens a new door to their lives. The Apprentice moves in with their Master and receive the privileges that go with their new title. No long under that care of their consoler the apprentice is free to spend their days while at the Temple at their leisure as long as they still go to class though they are still under a certain amount of rules. Padawans are not allowed access to Temple ships without their Master with them. They are also not allowed to leave the Temple at anytime without their Master's permission. They are also not permitted to enter the Weapons room and several of the meeting rooms, which are reserved for Masters and Knights. One of the most important events in the Apprentice's life is the construction of their lightsaber. Up to this point they used the Temple's training sabers but by this age they are usually able to handle a real lightsaber.  
The lightsaber is one of the most vital challenges the Padawan will face. It is the Jedi's most desired possession, but it is also the most difficult to get. The construction of the lightsaber begins at the Temple where the student completes the handle and inner workings of the weapon. Most Padawans choose to make the handle in a similar style that their Master has out of appreciation of the training the Master has given them. Getting everything prepared all that is needed to complete it is the crystals. Along with their Masters, Padawans are taken to the planet Ilum where they must climb a very dangerous path up to the caves of the Jedi. The caves where constructed by ancient Jedi who had discovered how powerful the Force was there. While they were there they found Force sensitive crystals hidden deep within the caves. It was there that the first lightsaber was built and since then every Jedi has gone to the caves to make their first lightsaber.  
While in the cave the Padawan is sent to retrieve his crystal alone were the Force will test his or her ability and control of their emotions showing them visions of their fears and dreams to see if the apprentice will turn back because of fear. Many padawans have come back after their first attempt at the cave. This is not considered a failure, only a learning experience but all apprentices must complete the caves in order to construct their sabers.  
As they reach the caverns where the crystals are grown the Padawan goes into a deep meditation as the Force guides them to the crystal that will work perfectly with the lightsaber he has constructed.  
In the meditation, the Apprentice starts construction of the saber. This can be a lengthy process taking days and even weeks for it to be completed. They come prepared for a long stay on the planet.  
Once their lightsaber is completed the Jedi team travels back to the Temple where the Master works with their apprentice to make sure their new weapon is working properly.  
Having a lightsaber means another thing, being able to go on missions. With their Master, the Padawan goes with him on different missions. Routine at first the missions become harder and harder as the Apprentice gets older. Training missions also come along with this.  
Traveling to a secluded planet the Jedi team goes through different exercises, most designed to be fun as well as good for their senses. The Apprentice can also participate in games at the Temple, which are help regularly for the young students.  
  
Pre-Trials: Level 6  
  
Level 6 is used for one purpose only, to prepare the Apprentice for the trials. Normally beginning at the age of 19 or 20, it begins with several exercises, one being the Padawan's first mission on their own. Judging by the way the Apprentice handled the situation and their feelings after, the Council decides whether they are ready to go on to the next session of the Level.  
Another of the exercises is how well the student does without the help from the Force. Strapping an Ysalamiri to the Padawan's back and sent into the wilderness. The animal, which takes the Padawan's capability to use the Force away, travels with him throughout the mission and they are monitored by a probe droid that follows closely along. The Apprentice normally runs into many obstacles, which he must get past without the Force's aid or his Masters. This difficult test normally is failed the first time and the Students must take it over again.  
After concurring with the Apprentice's Master the Council determines whether or not the Student is ready to take the trials.  
  
The Trials  
  
The Trials are the last test that a Student must go through to become a Knight this can be the most nerve wrecking and stressful time of the young Jedi's life. Only 20 % of students who started out will ever end up at this point and only 30% of them will pass. These low percentages are discouraging to the students, but it is necessary to make sure they are ready to be Knights.  
During the Padawan's trials only the Council and his Master knows he is taking them as he travels on a mission, alone, under the title of a Jedi Knight. The Council specifically picks out the most difficult missions in which requires several Jedi teams for just for the one Student to go through. The mission is real and is intense, usually dealing with wars that have broken out on planets.  
The Apprentice is tested on his ability to make decisions, control his emotions, his fighting style, and his loyalty to the Republic over anything else. Cut off from any communication he must deal with the problems alone. Completing the mission is vital for there is a time limit. If the Apprentice does not return to the Temple before the limit the Council will dispatch his Master to get him.  
If the Student returns, mission completed, he is sent back to the Council where he is required to give them an out view of the mission, while one of Masters reads his emotions. If the emotions are in check the Council proceeds to test him by asking him questions, and repeating the same test that was given to him when he first started at the Temple. The Council looks for certain answers that the student could not provide when they began. Following this the Trials continue with several tests to see how the student has learned over the years.  
After the tests the Council sends the student to his quarters to wait while they discuss whether or not the student passed. It can take several hours or even days to decide this. The student's Master is first to know and he is the one who tells his student.  
  
Jedi Knighthood  
  
If the Student passes he his immediately given the title of Jedi Knight and in a traditional ceremony the Padawan braid, which the student has had most of their life, is cut off by their Master, releasing them from their training and allowing to come into order. Most Students are first Knighted at ages of 23, 24, and 25. It is rare, but not impossible for a Jedi to be knighted at a younger age.  
Being knighted is the highest honor the Student has ever had. Upon receiving the title they are given the full rights an privileges, moving out of their Master's quarters and into their own the New Knight is able to accept or decline a mission, leave the Temple at their leisure and even take a Padawan for themselves, though this is not recommended with such an early Knighthood.  
Though Knight no longer is under the Master and Padawan training, most Knights choose to still train and meditate with their Masters even after years of completing, seeking the wisdom of their Teachers and Friends.  
  
Training to be a Jedi is not an easy path, it takes dedication and hard work, but it has been done by millions of beings wishing to be keepers of the peace and order in the Galaxy.  
  
There is no emotion; there is peace.  
There is no ignorance; there is knowledge.  
There is no passion; there is serenity.  
There is no death; there is the Force.  
-The Jedi Code- 


	3. Credits

Credits:  
  
The Movies:  
  
Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace  
  
Star Wars Episode 2: Attack of the Clones  
  
Star Wars Episode 4: A New Hope  
  
Star Wars Episode 5: The Empire Strikes Back  
  
Star Wars Episode 6: Return of the Jedi  
  
The Books:  
  
The Jedi Apprentice Series Books 1-18 By: Jude Watson  
  
Jedi Apprentice Special Editions 1 & 2 By: Jude Watson  
  
Jedi Quest: Path to Truth By: Jude Watson  
  
Jedi Quest Series 1-7 By: Jude Watson  
  
Websites:  
  
Star Wars- The Official site  
  
The Jedi Order:   
  
The Bear Clan:  
  
The Force. Net:  
  
The Completely Unofficial Star Wars Encyclopedia  
  
Bear Clan   
  
this was the name given to a group of youthful Jedi trainees, learning about the Force in the Jedi Temple on Coruscant during the years leading up to the Battle of Geonosis. At that time, the Bear Clan was being taught by Master Yoda himself. Like other such groups, the Bear Clan was made up of children of varying species between the ages of four and eight standard years. They trained in these groups until they were thirteen years old, at which time they were either chosen by a Jedi Master as a padawan learner or given other duties outside the Jedi Order. When Master Yoda left Coruscant to command the clone troopers at the Battle of Geonosis, the Bear Clan's training was given over to Depa Billaba.  
  
Padawan   
  
this is a Jedi term for a young student of the Force. During the height of the Old Republic, beings who were strong with the Force were identified at a young age for training, often before their first year of life. Young beings were transported to the Jedi Temple on Coruscant, where they were brought up to respect the Force and the life it suffuses. Trainees were allowed to train until they were chosen as Padawan learners by a Jedi Master, or until they were thirteen years old. If a learner was not chosen as a Padawan by his thirteenth birthday, it was decided that the young student would never have the drive and skills to become a full Jedi Knight, and they were given lesser assignments by the Jedi Council. Each Padawan was distinguished by a short, close-cropped hairstyle which was accented by a thin braid. The braid's length, together with small beads braided into the hair, denoted the Padawan's level of training. On the occasion of a Padawan's thirteenth birthday, solemn reflection and meditation were required by the student, and the Master often gave them a meaningful gift.  
  
Jedi Trials   
  
this was the name given to the series of milestones a Jedi padawan learner had to successfully complete to earn the promotion to the status of Jedi Knight. Before the trials could begin, a student had to first construct their own lightsaber and demonstrate proficiency in wielding it, both from an offensive standpoint as well as its use in self-defense. Among the later trials was a demonstration of an individual's facility with the three aspects of the Force: alter, control, and sense. Knowledge of the Jedi Code and its application and the use of sound judgment were also key trials. Lastly, a student had to accept and complete a solo mission, without instruction or guidance from their Master. This mission could be prescribed by the Jedi Council, or it could be a past mission which demonstrated the student's ability to act alone. Only when all the trials were completed, would the Jedi Council consider a student for promotion. 


End file.
